For resort owners and visitors, high water can be OK ... or not

For summer vacations, Minnesotans love water, but there can be too much of a good thing.

From the rise Mississippi River to the receding Rainy River flowages along the Canadian border, resort owners and visitors are seeing a mixed bag of fortune and folly as rivers and lakes absorb recent heavy rains.

"I've taken a slight beating here," said Art Gustafson, owner of Clementson Resort on the Rainy River outside of Baudette. "And I'm sure that goes on down the line."

There was optimism Friday as the river and its associated lakes, including Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake in Voyageurs National Park, receded after weeks of growing worry.

Gustafson said one dock was destroyed by the flooding river, and a number of guests canceled their stays. But for those who came, there were fish to be caught.

"I had a couple of guests last week in the peak of the madness, and they actually caught some nice walleye right there off the dock," he said.

The Mississippi has yet to crest, and Thursday's deluges of rain across central and southwest Minnesota have led to disconcerting forecasts for resort operators.

"It's tough, and we don't know what's coming next," said Stephen Weber, who is assuming ownership of Everts Resort along the Mississippi in Hager City, Wis.

He said he's not sure if the resort's cabins will flood as the river continues to rise.

"We pretty much have not had one customer in a month and a half because the main channel as been so high," Weber said.

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"People don't want to launch their boats in all the current."

Fishing for walleye and catfish has been solid for those who know the waters well but tricky for more occasional anglers.

"If you don't know the river you're shooting in the dark," Weber said. "The fish are up in the (flooded) trees, and you have to be careful boating because debris is all over the place."

Still, resorts are open, and getting that word out can pay off, said Gordon Gelo, owner of Sandy Point Lodge on Lake Kabetogama on the edge of Voyageurs National Park.

Like many waterfront operations, he has had to weigh down his floating docks to keep them from floating off.

"I had talked to another resort owner who had encouraged people not to come," Gelo said Friday. "I thought that was the wrong approach. We've been basically full the whole time, and we're operating as normal.

"Well, not quite normal. Tomorrow is kind of a turnover day. I've talked to everybody who's starting their week and told them to pack rubber boots because there's no way to get into a boat without getting your feet wet."